“This is it,” he stated, pulling into the driveway of the house that was completely constructed.
“Wait. They’ve laid down sod. I thought that you said you hadn’t connected with the landscapers and hadn’t received my email.”
“Yeah, well, I was mistaken; I did receive the email, and I did call the landscapers.”
“When, bae?” I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets as we approached the large brick and stone home.
“Last week. The day after you sent it.”
I frowned as he punched in a code on a box and opened the door. “Why did you lie?”
“Let’s call it a misunderstanding.”
“Mm-hmm.” I became distracted with the beautiful, vaulted ceilings, polished hardwood flooring, and sweeping, grand stairwell to our right. “Harlem, this home is stunning,” I declared breathlessly.
He chuckled and grabbed my hand. “You haven’t even seen it yet.”
“I know, but what I’ve seen so far has me in love. I’m so jealous of the people who get to live here, bae.”
“Come on. Let me give you a tour.”
“How big is it?”
“It’s got six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms. It’s nine thousand seven hundred square-feet with plenty of gathering spaces for the family.”
He led me to a large chef’s kitchen, and contractors were still in the space putting high-end commercial style appliances in place.
“This is the owner’s suite,” he stated, showing off the large bedroom on the first floor with recessed ceiling, a sunlit office, sitting room, and a spa bathroom. The bathroom had a fireplace in it between his and her sections, that each included their own storage drawers and sinks.
There was a second, smaller owner’s suite upstairs with the other bedrooms. All five of the additional bedrooms had their own bathrooms, sitting rooms, vaulted ceilings, French doors, and floor-to-ceiling windows. All the bedrooms had a balcony attached to the bedroom, but the owner’s suite had a private balcony.
“This is stunning, babe.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until we check out the terrace level,” Harlem boasted.
There was a lounge area, theater room, gym, and a guest suite that had a private yard. There was an outdoor cooking area, sports court, and an in-ground pool.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when we finished touring the beautiful home.
“I want one,” I confessed with my bottom lip trembling.
He laughed. “Want one what, bae?”
“These houses that you’re creating. I mean, I know maybe we can’t afford something this magnificent, but I want something close. It’s so surreal seeing something that you designed and allowed me to give my input on the computer come to life like this. It’s breathtaking, Harlem. I’m so proud of you that you created something like this. A perfectly beautiful home that’s perfect for entertaining, bae.”
“Yep, and we can still make it comfortable and functional for everyday living.”
“Yeah, they could.”
“It’s not too far from work for you. It would add maybe five more minutes onto your drive.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, and you could still get to your parents’ home and Palmer in the same amount of time. It’s not too far for you, is it?”
“I don’t understand.”
He released my hand, stuck his hand in his pocket, and pulled out keys. “Here you are, babe. This is ours.”
